Fighting Spirits
by ShadowShinigamiWolf
Summary: Yogscast AU, Zoethian, and one-sided Zoelna. We've all read those stories were Zoeya is the princess, and Rythian is of a lower class. But if it was flipped? Prince Rythian meets a red-headed peasant in the time of an approaching war. Not only do things get even more complicated when they slowly fall for each other, but whenever a certain blonde peasant gets jealous? Oh boy...
1. The Meeting

**_This idea's been bugging me for awhile, so I just wrote it out._**

* * *

"Prince Rythian, the king requests your presence." A knock came from the door. The said prince's head lifted from his hand, due to him gazing out the window located in his bed chambers.

"Tell him I'll be down in a minute." Rythian dismissed the guard at the doorway with a wave of his hand and a bored sigh.

Getting to his feet, he fixed the mask that adorned the bottom half of his face. His reasons for wearing the mask were his own, and he'd rather not get too lost in memories about that particular thing. He looked himself over in the mirror, making sure he presentable for his father's meeting.

His dark grey dress shirt had only a single pocket over his left breast, That along with simple, black pants made up most of his normal attire. For a royal, he didn't dress much like one. Yet in contrast to a peasant, it was a noticeable difference.

The only thing that showed he was the prince was a necklace that hung from his neck, bearing the family crest in a black print. It was made from a magical item called red matter, that was rare to get unless you were skilled in the arts of magic. He kept this tucked behind his shirt.

On his way downstairs to the Meeting Hall, the prince ran passed by many of his father's loyal guards. The young man stopped at the giant doors that led to the room in which the king was located. Guards stood on each side of the entrance.

A guard no older then he was had blue eyes and brown hair, he was also a fairly good friend of Rythian. This man's name was Xephos, and he came from a neighboring kingdom. The one opposite to Xephos was half the size of any normal man, yet they could still pack a quite a punch in a fight. Dark brown eyes, nearing black, gazed out from behind a helmet. A big, ginger beard worked it's way down to the middle of his chest, showing that he was older then he looked. The prince knew this man as Honeydew, one of Xephos' closet friends.

With a nod, the blue-eyed guard greeted him as he passed. The royal returned the friendly gesture with one of his own before entering the hall.

"Please, have a seat." His father motioned for him to sit at his right side. Rythian walked past the long table, filled with battle-hardened generals, to the open chair next to the king. One seated, the king spoke.

"I have gathered you all here today to discuss our… problems with the kingdom a few leagues over. The kingdom of Terrae, to be more precise.." As he was speaking, the king motioned to the said kingdom on the map, which was conveniently built into the table in front of him.

Rythian, along with everybody else in this kingdom and the bordering kingdoms, knew of the war between Terrae and his own kingdom, Magica. He also knew that Terrae's king, Israphel, was a cruel and intelligent man. Some say his pale skin and red eyes comes from actually being dead, or that his eyes loose their pupils and turn completely red at night, but those are just silly stories to frighten children.

"Rumor has it that he's trying to marry off his son, Prince Sjin, to Princess Minty of Primula Kingdom. A minor kingdom, yes, but they still pose a decent threat. If they combine with Terrae, this could mean bad news for us." The king scratched his chin in thought.

Rythian stared at the map in front of him, taking in all the details for probably the hundredth time that week. Magica was located deep into the heart of a mountain, giving it a good defense. Along with the fact that hardly any kingdoms bordered them. The biggest disadvantage is that the kingdom of Terrae rests in the north, blocking one of the two exits out of the mountain.

To the south is the kingdom of Noctua, where Princess Lomadia tries her hardest to keep peace throughout her kingdom. They were a great ally of Magica.

His chain of thought was broken by one of their great generals, Ravs, speaking up. "Sir, I think I know a way to stop Prince Sjin from marrying Princess Minty. It would be your final say, of course, and the chances of it working are slim at best, but what if we were somehow able to get Prince Rythian to marry her instead?"

The mentioned prince bristled. He was about to speak out, but his father cut him off.

"That wouldn't work. Primula doesn't exactly like us, even if they are neutral."

Rythian barely held in a groan. He was going to be here all day.

-SSW-

After the meeting, which lasted a few hours, all Rythian wanted to do was get some alone time. However his father wanted him to deliver a message to the Northern watchtower while the sun was still high in the sky. This explained his current state, riding on horseback, through the town, an envelope tucked away in his shirt pocket.

Once he arrived, he met with the guard known as Nilesy. They were good friends, even though they didn't see much of one another anymore. Nilesy was the head guard of that watchtower, making sure everybody did their work, along with receiving the news from his superiors.

"Hello, Rythian." Nilesy greeted him with a handshake. The guard was probably one of the few people who dared call him by his name alone.

"Hey Nilesy." He returned the greeting and handshake. "I have important message from the king. We have reasons to suspect that Terrae might be gathering forces for a coming war. It might be a bit of a stretch, but you can never be too careful. Here's the details." Rythian finished, handing the envelope to the other man.

"A war, huh? Well we better be prepared as well." Nilesy skimmed through the letter before tucking it away.

With a nod, Rythian climbed back onto his horse and rode off, not before hearing Nilesy shout to his guards. "Keep up your guard! We'll be working double shifts for awhile!"

The sun had begun to set by the time he rode through the lower class section of the town. It surprised him at how long it took just to deliver a message to the North watchtower. As he passed, a few people gave him a curious glance, but nothing more.

The ride was fairly uneventful, at least until he heard the cry of help. Kicking his horse from a trot and into a gallop, he followed the source of the shout.

Rounding the corner and into an alley, he saw a woman, probably around his age if not younger, backed into a wall by two looters. They each had a short dagger and dressed like a common thug.

"Just give us all you own and you can go unharmed." One of the looters was saying.

"I told you I don't have anything, I'm just a low class peasant." The woman replied stubbornly.

"How can that be when we saw your purse hanging from your waist? It looked like it held something. So just give it here." The second looter stepped closer.

"Well that's not a very nice thing to do, now is it?" Rythian called out, drawing the attention of the two thugs. The woman tried to edge away, but one of the men blocked her way.

"Stay outta this, noble." One of them spat. "Before we decide to rob you instead."

It was times like this that most of the lower-class didn't know what the prince looked like. He grinned. _Time to have some fun._ He slowly dismounted his horse and pulled his sword out of it's scabbard.

"I'd like to see you try." He chuckled, stopped a few feet away from the three.

Only when he got closer did he notice the woman's hand a clamped over her shoulder, red oozed through her fingers.

"It's not nice to hurt a lady." The prince growled, dashing forward. The looter barely blocked the sword with the small dagger, causing him to constantly step back.

After this went on for awhile, the thug cried out. "Run! It's not worth it!" He and his crony sprinted out of the alley.

With a victorious smirk, the young man turned back to the woman. His expression changed to one of slight worry as he neared her.

"You okay?" He questioned, getting a better look at her appearance.

She was unusual to say the least, then again so was he. She had bright red hair and amber eyes, that looked at him with gratitude.

"Yeah, thank you. I couldn't exactly fight back well with only one arm… I don't have much coin, but I can pay you for your help-" She began to reach for the pouch tied to her waist, but stop cut off by Rythian.

"You don't need to pay me." He laughed, but it slowly died down by the time he spoke again. "Your shoulder doesn't look too good… You should probably head home." He recommended.

With a slight smile, she began to walk out of the alley with a small limp. He didn't noticed this before, so he called out.

"Wait. Do you need some help? There's plenty of room on the saddle." He gestured to his horse.

"No, it's fine." She continued to walk.

He climbed onto his horse and trotted beside her. "I insist. Wouldn't want something like that to happen again now would we?"

She sighed. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

The prince just shook his head and held out a hand. "What do ya say?"

She grinned. "I guess." Taking his hand she climbed onto the horse behind him. "I live near the blacksmith."

With a nod he lead his horse into a steady gallop, they still needed to get her shoulder taken care of.

"My name is Zoeya, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Zoeya. My name is Rythian." As he said this, he expected her to know who he was, but she stayed silent.

The moon had risen in the sky when he arrive near the blacksmith's shop. "Where's your house from here?" He turned his head slightly to look at Zoeya.

"Just turn down that street there, it's the last one on the left." She instructed.

Following her directions, they soon arrived at a small wooden house. Smoke was drifting out of the chimney, and farm tools were gathered along the side of the small two-story.

She climbed off the horse, followed by Rythian. The blood on her shoulder had dried up, but it still didn't look too good.

"Well here you are. I'm sure your husband was worried." He laughed.

Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink. "I- I'm not married yet. I've only been 16 for a short while now."

"I assumed a fine lady like yourself would have already been wed…" He mumbled to himself. Hopefully she didn't hear him.

"Thanks again. Will I see you around?" Zoeya asked.

"I don't see why not…"

"Great!" She grinned before walking to her door. "See ya later, Rythian!" The door closed behind her.

He couldn't help but frown, all thoughts of the possible war returning to him. As his horse started to walk down the street, a blonde man passed him. Call him crazy, but Rythian could have sworn he saw a glare on the man's face.


	2. The Market

**_Welp, here you are! The next chapter of FS!_**

* * *

True to his word, Rythian visited Zoeya just about everyday for the next month, as long as his father didn't hold any late meetings. Her shoulder had long since healed, and she no longer walked with a limp. During this time, she insisted that he call her Zoey.

He learned that her father's name was Barry, a nice man he was. Barry had red hair, without a doubt where Zoeya got her hair color from. Only instead of amber eyes, her father had soft blue. Her mother died when she was born, but Barry says that Zoeya got her eyes and personality from her.

While they had been open to him, allowing him to learn more about themselves, he was the opposite. As far as they knew, he was just an average noble. Rythian didn't want to know their reactions to learning that he was actually the prince. Or that he never told them about it.

"Hey Rythian! I want you to meet someone!" Zoeya's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Coming!" He called from inside the house. Walking through the front door his sights meet with that of another person, who wasn't Zoeya. "Zoey, who's this?" He asked, taking in the appearance of the other man.

Shaggy blonde hair was attempted to be pulled behind his ears, but some still slipped into his face. Vibrant teal eyes bore into his purple ones in an almost challenging way. He wasn't dressed very well, showing that he was of a low class. Rythian blinked in surprise. It was the guy from that first night!

"This is Lalna, an old friend of mine. Lalna, this is Rythian." She introduced them.

Rythian reached out his hand for a shake, but lowered it when the other ignored it. Lalna was obviously taking in his own appearance.

"Well, now that we all know each other. Why don't we go somewhere?" Zoeya clapped her hands together, grinning at the two of them.

Lalna turned to her and smiled, all hostility towards Rythian gone. "Why not? I've been needing to get some supplies, anyway."

"Great! Let's go!" Zoeya began to lead them away from her wooden home, after grabbing a bag of sorts to carry any food items they bought. It was hard for the prince to not smile at her bubbly personality. What could he say, it was very contagious.

They had all opted to walk to the marketplace. With Lalna being there, there wasn't enough room on Rythian's horse. While the red-head led the way, smiling and laughing at simple things, the two men walked side by side.

They glared at each other, seeing how the other reacted to what Zoeya said, observing the emotions they allowed to slip whenever the amber-eyed young woman spoke to them, things of that nature. Whenever the wooden structures with tarps came into view, they dropped their challenge.

"What was it you needed, Lalna?" Rythian asked, trying to break the ice between them. However he knew this attempt would be in vein.

"Not much, just a few farm tools, my other's have broken." He sighed, turning to Zoeya he asked. "Did you need anything?"

"I needed to get some ingredients for meals over the next few days." She replied, glancing over at Rythian.

Figuring out the question before she even asked, he responded. "I don't need anything, I'll just tag along with you, Zoey."

"Should we split up? It would take less time that way." Zoeya suggested.

Lalna looked as if he was about to object, but Rythian interjected. "That sounds good to me, meet back here afterwards? And… If it takes too long just go on ahead?"

With a nod, Zoeya dragged Rythian away from the blonde, who never even had a chance to say anything during this. Rythian was the only one who saw the glare given to him, seeing as the woman had her back turned.

Once they had covered some distance, they stopped in front of a stall with a red tarp. Fresh fruits lines the shelves in front of them, all under the watchful eye of the merchant behind the counter. The selection ranged from apples to pears to grapes to oranges, and that was only some of the variety. She grabbed three apples and paid the vendor. Placing the fruit in her bag, she turned to him.

"One thing down- Now let's go!" She grinned, tugging him along once more.

-SSW-

By the time they had finished, night had fallen, and the streets were mostly empty. All around them, merchants closed the tarps over their wooden stands, before tying it closed. Rythian had convinced Zoeya to let him hold the bag full of food.

As they passed by a stand made from stone, something caught Zoeya's eye. She changed her course and tugged on Rythian's sleeve, leading him with her over to the stand.

Yet it wasn't the stand that caught her eye, or even the assortment of jewelry that it held. What had caught her eye was a certain necklace, lost in a sea of others of it's kind. The rings where located underneath them while they hung from the top of the stand. The merchant seemed fairly strong, so no smart person would rob him.

The piece of jewelry that drew her in like a fish to a baited hook was fairly simple. A polished shard of amber, in the shape of a teardrop, was hung from a silver chain. It was still breath-taking, despite it's simplicity.

"Are you going to buy something, Miss, or just stand there?" The merchant sighed, obviously annoyed that she interrupted his closing up.

"Uhh… No, sorry." She blinked, walking back along the path. After walking for a few minutes, her companion stopped.

"What's wrong?" She asked, turning around.

"I need to take care of something, go on without me." He motioned down the path, before turning back around and entering the market again.

The red-head was left standing there, watching as his form slowly grew smaller and smaller, before disappearing as he turned a corner. With a shrug, she continued on her way.

-SSW-

Rythian turned away from Zoeya, before heading back into the marketplace. The mostly empty place was quiet, with the occasional that was barely audible. The sound of his own footsteps filled his hearing, along with the gentle howl of the wind. He rubbed his arms as an exceptionally strong gust of wind tore at his clothing.

He'd better hurry, or else the stand would close soon. Picking up his pace, he soon arrived at the afore mentioned stand. Lucky for him, it was still open, but he saw the merchant beginning to pull down the tarp.

Running over to him he called out. "Wait! Hold on a second!"

The merchant looked up as Rythian skidded to a stop in front of him. "Oh… It's you again. What is it this time?"

"The necklace, I'd like to buy it. How much?" He asked, looking from the man to the said piece of jewelry.

"Hmm… I've been trying to get rid of that for awhile now, so I'll cut you a deal. Five gold coins." The buff merchant scratched the back of his neck.

Careful to hide the total of his money, the prince pulled out the desired amount of coins and placed them on the stone surface. As a result the other man took down the necklace and grabbed the coins, then placed the necklace where the metal discs once where.

Before Rythian could walk away, the jeweler called out to him. "Hope your nice lady friend enjoys that!"

Without turning back around, the younger man continued walking back to where they had planned to meet, a blush on his face. He put the amber necklace in his bag with coins and was met with the cool chill of the wind once more.

-SSW-

The woman shifted on her feet, trying not to show her nerves. It might not have been the best idea to be standing alone at the meeting place, not at night at least. The knot that had formed in her stomach instantly disappeared at the sight of a familiar man.

"Rythian!" She called out, waving at him.

She waited as he walked towards her, before stopping.

"Hey, Zoey. Is Lalna here yet?" He asked, glancing around for the blonde.

"No… Should we just go on ahead without him?" She responded, beginning to walk away.

"Yeah, sure." He joined her as they began to walk back to her home.

The wind howled on, sucking away any heat that their bodies provided. The young duo couldn't help but shiver. They speed up their pace until the wooden cabin came into view.

"Finally. It's freezing out here." Zoeya sighed in relief as she walked up to the door.

She entered, soon followed by Rythian. The red-head called out to her father, signaling their return, while he sat in a chair nearby. As he sat, his thoughts wandered from several things. From trying to think of a way to tell them who he was, wondering when would be the best time to give Zoeya the necklace, all under the heavy thoughts of war. Thinking of the war caused him to become stressed, his usually calm demeanor was broken down for all of a few seconds.

"Rythian? You okay?" Barry's voice shattered his train of thought.

"What? Yeah, yeah. Just… A lot of stuff is happening for me at the moment." He replied, at least it was the truth.

"Things at home?" Zoeya's father questioned.

"Something like that." The prince stared at his feet, not liking where this conversation was going. Seeming to be spared by some god, Barry didn't inquire further.

As he thought more of the subject, careful not to show his stress this time, plans started to form in his head. Then the idea struck him, the perfect chance to give the necklace to the red-haired woman and still make it special.

It was around this time that Zoeya entered the room, only to continue into the kitchen. He got up and followed her, stopping a few feet away from her.

"I was wondering… Would you like to go somewhere tomorrow? I know this really nice sight seeing place. I know how much you like nature." He laughed a bit, trying to mask his nervousness at being rejected. Inside he was glad that he managed to get out the question without stuttering or making a fool of himself.

She finished gathering the ingredients for what looked like soup and turned to him with a large grin on her face.

"Of course! I would love to!" She gave him a hug, causing him to lock up in surprise.

He hesitantly returned the hug, it was only a friendly hug after all, right? At his own thought, something pricked at his heart, as if disagreeing with what he believed.

Glancing down at the woman in his arms, he grinned. The thought never occurred to them that they might have hugged longer then what would be deemed as friendly.

Unknown to them, a set of soft blue eyes watched from another room. A quiet chuckle went unheard as the owner of the eyes turned away. If they had noticed, they would have identified the man as Barry.


	3. The Arrangement

**_Wow, here's another chapter. It didn't take as long as I thought it would XD_**

* * *

Rythian left before they ate, not wanting to be away from the castle too long. The ride back was quiet, the wind having subsided, only to be replaced by a light fog. It wasn't too heavy as to dampen his clothing, or block his view of the surrounding areas, yet it still swirled about like smoke from a fire.

The castle walls were in front of him before he knew it, due him being lost in thought. The guards on duty lowered the gates once they recognized him, allowing him entry. He let his horse be taken to the stables by a guard before continuing on foot.

Almost as soon as his foot passed over the large threshold, the guard Ravs was in front of him, dragging him away from the gates.

"Where were you?!" The senior guard asked in a near yell, stopping only a moment to open another door.

"I was out somewhere. Why?" Rythian asked, concern beginning to surface.

"Your father called an emergency meeting! I was sent to fetch you, but you weren't there. Your presence is a must in this meeting, so we've had to hold off on it for hours now." Ravs practically threw him into the Meeting Hall, before going to his seat at the table.

Wondering just what was going on, the prince sat at his seat next to an impatient king. The king didn't waste anytime at all, the doors had barely shut before he began.

"Now that Prince Rythian has finally joined us, I can begin." The mentioned young man only just suppressed a flinch at the annoyance in the other man's voice.

"It's Terrae and Primula, they have joined forces. News of Prince Sjin and Princess Minty's wedding have only just reached the kingdom. Not only that, but King Israphel demands our forces to step down. Otherwise he'll attack in great numbers."

Suffocating silence met the horrific news.

"But your highness, we aren't actually going to surrender, are we?" A newer general hesitantly asked.

"Of course not!" The king was literally fuming, but Rythian was sure it was only because of the recent discovery, not the naïve general that had just spoken.

"Then what are we going to do?" Rythian asked, turning to his father.

"Well we certainly aren't going to do what he wants us. We should send to word to Noctua immediately, hopefully they'll aid us." The king rubbed his face with his hands with a sigh.

"My senior generals stay here, the rest of you are dismissed. Be prepared for a battle soon." The king finished with a wave of his hand.

Over half of the people in the room left, while Ravs and a handful of others stayed behind. Rythian slowly got up, looking at his father for any objection.

"Stay for a while longer, son."

He sat back down as the king looked up. One general had a scruffy beard that trailed down to the middle of his chest, he spoke up first.

"Your highness, you say that King Israphel married off his son in order to grow stronger, correct?" He paused to wait for a reaction. After earning a nod, he proceeded. "Well… Princess Lomadia isn't married yet, maybe you can discuss with her father to combine the two kingdoms."

Rythian mentally growled. Why do they always talk about his future like that? He may have a duty to serve his kingdom, but with his age he should be allowed to make his own choices.

With the thought of being married to Princess Lomadia, the familiar prick to his heart returned. What would Zoey think? He blinked in surprise. Why would she have a problem with him being married, anyway? He didn't have long to process his own thoughts before his father stood.

"Yes that's it! I'll organize a meeting alone with the King of Noctua as soon as I can. As for the rest of you, dismissed." The king was grinning, the heavy topics pushed out of the way for the time being.

As soon as Rythian left, Ravs gave him a hefty pat to the back.

"Well, well, looks like our mighty prince might just have himself a beautiful princess soon. If all goes as planned, of course." Ravs let out a laugh.

The prince tried his best to return the enthusiasm, but found he could not. Most should be happy that they're to be wed, but he wasn't. The prick to his heart had returned once more, full-force this time. It was no longer a prickle, more like a stabbing feeling that would not leave him alone.

"How's about we go get a drink, eh, Rythian?" Ravs asked, beginning to lead them to the Mess Hall.

He didn't object, merely tried to focus on the feelings that have been attacking his valued organ in the past few days. Ravs pushed open the large door, allowing a wave of voices and the sound of silverware clinking against plates to flood through the opening.

Ravs led him to a large table with the rest of the guards he was friends with. Nilesy stood and gave him a rough pat on the back, much like Ravs had done. The mentioned senior guard had sat down, waiting for the two remaining to sit as well.

With a grin, Honeydew handed them both a stone mug of what looked like beer, while Xephos gave them each a freshly baked loaf of bread.

"It might not be wise to celebrate just yet, the king of Noctua might decline the request. I hear he's very protective of his daughter." Xephos spoke, the look on his face showing that he didn't really want to be the one to say this. Probably didn't want to take away everybody's fun.

"You make a good point, friend." Honeydew clamped a hand on the taller guard's shoulders. This act looked quite comical for someone so short.

As they all laughed and had a good time, Rythian tried to act happy as well. Yet the thoughts still plagued him. How was he going to tell Zoey and her father? Not only did he hide his identity as a prince, but now the possibility of marrying a woman he barely knew and uniting a kingdom against a coming battle? That might be a bit to the extreme.

With a sigh he excused himself from the table, wanting to retire to his bed chambers early that night. The guys all joked around, pretending to sound hurt at him leaving. With a final pat from Ravs, he left the Mess Hall and journeyed up to his chambers.

He honestly had no idea how to tell them, and he almost dreaded the next day. But thinking of the time he would spend with Zoey lightened his mood quite a bit, and he fell asleep with the slightly freckled red-head in his mind.


	4. The Cliff

The next day, the prince of Magica headed over to the house he visited on an almost daily basis. Climbing down from his horse, he walked up to the door, only to run into a rushing Lalna. Rythian stumbled and so did the blonde, but neither fell.

"Get out of the way." Lalna growled, pushing past him once more.

The purple-eyed young man watched the retreating figure hurry down the street, wondering just what had made the peasant so annoyed. Shaking his head, he entered the wooden structure that was practically like a second home to him.

"Rythian, my boy. How're doing?" Barry grinned, resting a calloused hand on his shoulder.

The older man led him to the table, before taking away his hand and sitting down. He sat down, wondering what Barry had to discuss with him.

"It'll be awhile, Zoey's getting ready in the other room for your little 'outing'" Barry spoke, answering one of his questions that resided in his mind.

"Okay… What did you need to speak to me about?" Rythian blinked, glancing towards the hallway with the other rooms.

"How old are you?" Barry asked simply.

The man in question pulled a strange look. What did that have to do with anything?

"I'm 18, going on 19. Why?" Rythian sounded, watching the other man for a reaction.

"Good! That means I don't need to talk to your parents…" The blue-eyed man spoke, half to himself.

Barry got up and disappeared into the other room, only to return a few seconds later with a bag. He released the bag onto the table, allowing a couple bronze coins to spill out.

"25 bronze, it's all I could spare." Barry said in barely more then a whisper, sitting back down in his seat.

"What… Why are you giving me this?" The prince looked at the red-headed man in surprise.

"It's a dowry. Rythian, you're like the son I've never had. I see how happy you make my daughter, only Lalna is the only other person who has ever made her anywhere near this happy, and even then not this much." Barry continued to speak in a low voice, breaking in order to take a deep breath.

"I'm flattered, sir, but what does that have to do with the money?" Rythian asked, keeping his voice down. If Barry was speaking in hushed tones, he assumed he needed to be as well.

"Sir…" Barry breathed out a laugh. "You are in no place to be calling me sir. If anybody is called sir, it should be you."

"I was always taught to respect my elders…" The younger man replied, still awaiting the rest of the explanation.

"You were taught well…I better hurry though, before Zoey comes down." Barry smiled slightly, before his face took on a more serious look. "What I'm trying to say is… I want what's best for her. I see the way you two act when you're together, you seem as equally happy."

Rythian resisted the urge to interrupt, to tell him to get on with it.

"Rythian, I was wanting to know if you'd marry Zoeya." Barry finished.

He was thoroughly surprised, but he probably should have seen it coming. Before he could say anything, Zoeya's father carried on.

"If you accept, she'd move up a class. But that's not what matters the most, you two could really work out together."

"I…" The prince began, thoughts about his own father's plans and about Princess Lomadia crossed his mind. "I need some time to think, okay?" He stared at the wooden table, observing all the unique patterns that it held.

"Fair enough." Barry smiled, cleaning up the bag of coins before putting it away.

It was around that time that Zoeya came down with a large grin on her face. That grin widened when she saw him. She ran and gave him a bone-crushed hug.

"Hey Rythian!" She looked up at him from her position in his arms.

"Hey. Ready to go?" He asked, breaking away when Barry caught his eye in a knowing look.

"Yep. Mind if I ask where we're going?" She opened the door, pausing for Rythian.

"Nowhere too special…" He shrugged, closing the door behind them. Then realizing how that sounded, he added. "Unless you want to go somewhere specific."

"No, it's fine." She looked at him, the grin never leaving her face.

That familiar feeling washed over him again, full-force. Something made him take Zoey's arm in his own, without thinking much about it. Only after he realized that he did it, did he break away with a heavy shade of red on his face.

"I- Sorry!' He held his face in his hand, not wanting to make eye contact.

"Sorry for what?" She laughed, looping her arm with his once more.

"Uhh… Nevermind."

-SSW-

They were near the outskirts of town, arms still intertwined with each another, when Rythian pulled them off the main path. The outskirts of town were mostly inhabited by farmers, meaning that there were very few buildings around these parts.

"Just where are we going, Rythian?" Zoeya laughed, pulling them to a stop.

"You'll have to wait and see." He replied ominously, but the corners of his eyes showed a smile was hidden behind his mask.

He led her down a gravel path, entering a small forest. She seemed surprised that he knew his way around here, for someone of the noble class. They passed through the trees as the breeze rustled the branches and leaves. The path had long since disappeared, but he still walked on with confidence.

He watched as she took in all the sights and sounds of the forest surrounding them. He was fairly certain that no thieves or looters traveled around here, but just in case, he remembered to bring his sword. The prince patted his scabbard, just as a reassurance. The breeze carried with it many leaves of different colors, mostly shades of orange or gold.

After walking for what seemed like an hour, the trees resided, revealing a large clearing that cut off as a cliff. He sat down on the edge and glanced at the woman who had stopped behind him.

"What's wrong?" Rythian asked the amber-eyed woman.

"Just… Nothing." She tried her best to smile as she cautiously approached the edge.

He gripped her arm gently as she sat down. "I won't let you fall, don't worry about that."

With a slight nod, she leaned into him. Hesitantly he brought his arm around her shoulders as she took in the view. The cliff overlooked most of the town, allowing you to see even over all the farmland all the way to the castle in the far off distance.

"I wanted you to see the town from this place, especially the castle, when the sun sets. Everything is a perfect hue of reddish-orange." He waved out his hands out in front of them, spreading them wide so it looked like he was covering the town.

Zoeya watched in wonder as the time passed, bathing everything in a warm color, like how Rythian described.

"Rythian?" She asked, looking up at him from her resting place on his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Well… I think that… Maybe... I might…" She tried to start, but he let her take her time.

"I think I love you, Rythian." Zoeya let out, beginning to pull away.

He rested a hand on her shoulder. That familiar feeling washed through him once more, it seemed to be doing that a lot when he was around her.

"I…" He began, trying to think of how to word his emotions at that moment. "I love you too, Zoey." He pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on one of her shoulders.

The prince heard her breath a sigh of relief as she cuddled into his embrace. They sat there for awhile, enjoying each others company as the sun set in front of them. The whole thing had a surreal, almost heavenly feel to it. Something told him that it was probably just some dream, that he would wake up and she never actually confessed.

"I have something for you." Rythian whispered when the moon was at it's fullest.

She pulled away and looked at him. "What?"

He grabbed the pouch tied around his waist and reached inside. He shifted around a few coins before finding what he was looking for.

"Close your eyes and turn around." He instructed gently.

When she did what he asked, he pulled the necklace around her neck. She jumped at the feeling of something going around her neck in that manner. He fastened the thin chain of the necklace around her neck, before saying that she could open her eyes.

"Did you really think I'd hurt you?" He asked, referring to her slight jump seconds earlier.

"No, just reflexes…" Zoeya breathed, staring at the amber gem that hung from her neck in awe. "When did…?" She trailed off.

"Remember when I went back?" He chuckled.

"So that's what you did…" She smiled, clearly thinking of when he ran off at the market. "Thank you."

"It was no problem." He smiled through the mask.

"Can I ask you something?" She began, biting her lower lip.

"Sure, anything." He replied, rested a hand on her shoulder.

"What- Why do you wear that mask?" The amber-eyed woman looked him in the eyes.

His smile changed to that of a grim one as he remembered the past. She reached up towards his face, fingers closing around the fabric of the mask that always adorned his face since he was a young boy. She slowly pulled it down to reveal a long, pale line that stretched from each corner of his lips all the way back to the middle of his cheek.

"What… happened?" She breathed, cupping his cheeks in her hands. She traced the scars with her thumbs as she awaited his answer.

"When I was maybe ten, I can't exactly remember my age then, my mother had gotten mad at me. Me and her… We never… Really liked each other much. I had broken her favorite vase. A fine vase it was, with all the elegant swirls and patterns." Zoeya never interrupted, even when he got the slightest bit off track.

"She had grabbed the nearest thing, without even thinking. It was my father's antique sword. She threw it at me… I turned at the sound of her yelling, only to get hit with the sword. I can't recall much after that, only all the blood. It was splattered on the tile. My father heard the commotion and came running. He saw everything and connected the dots. I had to watch as my mother was punished to death…" He broke off, eyes glazed over.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked." She whispered.

"No, it's fine. You needed to know, anyway." He sighed, trying to regain his composure. He wasn't going to cry, not now, not ever.

She traced the scars once more before leaning in closer with half closed eyes.

"I think it makes you unique." She murmured, before their lips met.

It took Rythian's brain a moment to register what was happening. His arms closed around her form, hugging her close as he deepened the kiss. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers. They sat like that for awhile, enjoying the close contact of the embrace.

However something still kept the prince from loving her with his full heart. No it wasn't her, not at all. It was him. The cause of this was a different feeling, the feeling of fear. He still kept that secret from her, that secret could change everything, would change everything. She might be angry that he kept his true identity from her for so long, especially telling her now of all times.

"Zoey, there's something really important I need to tell you." He began, pulling away.

He was already dreading this, but she had to know the truth. It would be unfair for her otherwise.

"What is it, Rythe?" She asked, a slight frown on her face.

Despite the seriousness of what he had to say, he couldn't help but smile at the nickname. But with a heavy sigh, the smile faded away.

"I haven't been honest with you…" He began, causing her to blink in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not who you think I am…" With slightly numb fingers he pulled out the amulet that hung from his neck. "I'm the Prince of Magica." He waited for her response in dreaded silence.

She only smiled and laughed, leaning into him.

"What's so funny?" The purple-eyed man asked, shocked at how she was taking things. He had went through numerous possibilities in his head, but never expected this.

"You- Ryth- I already knew." She grinned, earning a look of shock to cross his face.

"How?"

"Duh. How many people do you know with the name 'Rythian'? You might have fooled my father, but not me." Zoeya laughed again.

Rythian only stared in stunned silence as she calmed down after her fit of laughter.

"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready, and it never changed how I felt about you." She smiled up at him.

"That means a lot to-" He stopped, staring at something located behind her.

She turned around, trying to figure out what caught the other's eye. Then she saw it. A orange hue lit up the dark blue sky, however it wasn't the sun rising. The orange glow seemed to grow as her mind still tried to think of what it could be. Only when she noticed the thing trails of smoke, along with the smell of something burning, did her eyes widen.

"Is that-"

"Fire" Rythian breathed out.


	5. The Fire

They raced back to the town as fast as their legs could carry them. By the time they passed the farmland and entered the lower part of the place, the fire had spread to just about every single area.

As they tried to catch their breath, the smoke that had wafted towards them caused Zoeya to start coughing. The mask he wore helped him, but without one of her own, his partner was open to the thick, almost black, smoke.

He handed her a spare cloth that he managed to find in his pocket. Handing it to her, he received a grateful nod as she held it to her mouth. Rythian squinted his eyes through the smoke, trying to identify which way to go. Before he could move, the red-head had dragged him off down a street he recognized.

"Wait!" He called out, feet skidding to a stop.

"What?" She asked, impatient voice muffled by the cloth.

Instead of replying, he just turned around in circles, searching for something. Spotting a man riding a horse he cried out to the man, causing him to slow.

"What is it?" The man growled, inching to get moving again.

"I need your horse, I'll pay you 10 gold right here, right now." The prince reached into his pouch and pulled out the said amount of money without even moving his gaze.

The man seemed to consider this, before a flaming, wooden post from a nearby cabin fell next to him, crushing an innocent bystander. Blood, along with something else that he didn't care to figure out what it was, splattered near their feet. Zoeya seemed a little green as she tried to focus on something else. The man's horse reared back while Rythian backpedaled.

"Deal!" The man cried, unnerved by the previous scene.

The horse's rider jumped down, holding the reins, and grabbed the coins from the noble before handing over the horse. As soon as the deal was made, he was off running again.

"Come on." Rythian climbed onto the four-legged animal, holding his hand out to help his loved one. Once she was on and had a steady grip to his torso, he kicked the horse into a gallop.

"Where were you about to go?" He asked as the fire roared all around them.

"To my house." The amber-eyed woman replied, burying her face in between his shoulder blades.

With a nod, he directed the mammal down an alley and on to another street. As he rode, he noticed that the fire had taken it's mighty toll on the town. People ran through the streets, some screaming for their family and friends, while others cried out in pain as the fire seared the flesh on their bodies. Some type of fluid, like a mix of blood and puss, oozed from the large cracks in their skin.

It was times like this that Rythian was thankful for growing up the way he did. He had seen plenty of deaths in battle, giving him a strong stomach. It was still a gruesome sight to behold, however.

Their deathly screams echoed off of the buildings, causing his heart to fill with dread. They needed to get to Zoeya's house, get Barry, and get out of the town before one of them gets seriously hurt.

The home, like every other structure, was on fire. Heat radiated off of it in waves, causing the horse to rear away. He tried his best to calm the animal, then got off. Like always, Rythian helped his partner down afterwards.

There was always a chance that Barry had gotten out, that he had gotten to safety in time. He hoped that the man wasn't injured, or worse.

"Stay here, Zoey. I'll be back soon." He began to walk towards the wooden building, not even glancing behind him to make sure she followed his instruction.

"Be careful." She spoke as he entered.

The inside was probably worse then the outside. Even with the mask he wore, the smoke still caused him to cough terribly. His eyes burned and he squinted through the dim, suffocating smoke. Several wooden beams had fallen from the ceiling, a cause for worry. If one more fell alone, it could make the entire house collapse in on itself.

He sprinted through the hallway and entered several rooms, all the while calling out for Zoeya's father. Rythian stopped when he saw a movement underneath a beam. Dashing over to the source, he stopped in surprise. A blob of red hair caught his attention. Eyes widening in realization he frantically began to try and shift the post.

The head of Barry weakly lifted up. For he most part he looked unharmed. The only sign of damage was a fairly large trail of blood that ran down his chin from the corner of his mouth.

"Rythian?" He croaked, blinking through the grayish-black.

"Yeah, it's me." He replied, before straining once more with the weight of the beam. "I don't know if I can move this, Barry." The prince spoke, voice laden with hopelessness.

The other man gave him a slight smile. "Don't worry about it, the damage is already done. Where is my precious Zoey?"

"Outside, I told her I wasn't going to be long. I'd come in here and help you out, then we'd run."

"Please go get her." The blue-eyed man murmured with a sigh.

"I can't just leave you here!" Rythian growled while trying to lift the load-bearing wood.

"Just do it!" Barry snapped, however with the way his voice sounded, it didn't really sound at all harsh.

With a heavy sigh, Rythian exited the house once more. He returned with Zoey close behind. Once Barry came into view, she cried out. The noble never told her what had happened to him.

"Father!" Her voice was filled with worry and dread. He faintly grinned, revealing teeth stained red.

"I can't move the beam, Zoey. On my mark, drag him out, okay? I'm afraid this place is going to go soon." He instructed.

With a nod she readied herself, grabbing onto the injured man's ankles. On the count of three, Rythian had lifted the beam by a few inches. As soon as she was able to, his partner had pulled Barry out from underneath the wooden post.

He helped the stumbling man to his feet, who leaned heavily on the noble. Zoeya helped carry some of Barry's weight as they hurried out of the crumbling building. As soon as they exited safely, a wave a of heat and ash blew towards them. A result of the doorway, and probably the rest of the house, caving in.

A loud boom echoed throughout the air, followed by a white flash. The Magica Prince looked up just as a droplet of water hit his face. The lone droplet was soon followed by more, until a steady drizzle was coming down.

They gently laid Barry a safe distance away from any burning structures and away from any busy streets. His eyes were narrowed to the point of slits, his breathing labored.

"Father…" Zoeya whimpered, resting her hand on his chest. With her other hand, she gripped the dying man's own.

In response, Barry shifted his head slightly towards where she sat on her knees. He tried to give a weak smile, as a reassurance, but a vicious cough racked through his body.

"Rythian…" The red-haired man breathed. "The deal-" Another coughing fit. "I need to know…"

"I-" He began, but was interrupted by another series of hacking coughs. As the suffering man was coughing, more blood arose from his throat. He was too weak to even spit it off to the side.

"I will, sir. I will." Rythian responded, voice beginning to crack. The other man was literally like a father to him, maybe even more so then his own.

The rain had started to fall heavier now, drenching their clothing. The rain's effect on the fire helped the situation some, as the blazing orange began to subside.

With a final nod, Barry tried to say something, but failed to. His raspy breathing stopped, his eyes stared out at nothing as a haze began to form over them.

"No! Father!" The other red-head cried out, clutching Barry to her chest in a desperate hug. Tears mingled with the rain as she sobbed. "Please…"

He pulled her into a tight embrace, trying not to show his own sorrow for Zoey's sake.

The rain had all but stopped the fire and the occasional piece of soot or ash would fly by in the wind. Somehow the simple result of a flame could still manage to catch flight through this weather.

But Rythian didn't pay attention to that, he merely focused on comforting his love over their loss.


	6. The Aftermath

**_Do not fear! I haven't given up this story yet! :D_**

* * *

They sat there, an unknown amount of time having passed, taking comfort in each others' presence. Finally, Rythian pulled them away from Barry. Zoeya protested, not wanting to leave her father laying there.

"People will come get him soon; I'm sure there are… others like him." He told her as they walked down the street.

A handful of other townsfolk roamed around, most of them were mourning over their losses, while some were still searching for their loved ones. Whenever a person found somebody dear to them injured or dead, they would let out an anguished wail that seemed to echo off of the remains of buildings. The echoes seemed to travel throughout the entire town, leaving everybody in a horrible mood.

"What was he talking about?" His companion asked, avoiding a charred man on the gravel.

"What… do you mean?" The noble asked, obviously confused as he crossed across the street, only after a horse and it's rider passed.

"That deal my father mentioned." She clarified, awaiting a response.

"Oh… That." Rythian avoided eye contact, instead opting to watch as more civilians despaired and cried over all that had happened.

Seeing everything truly made him feel helpless. What kind of king would he eventually become if he can't even help his kingdom? Even something like a fire. No it might not be able to be stopped easily, but he should at least help out afterwards…

"Well… Before we left for the cliff, your father and I talked about something. Keep in mind that this was before I knew you returned my feelings, if I had known then things might have been a bit different…" He trailed off, gathering his thoughts.

Before he could continue however, a boy no older then ten was dashing towards them, showing no signs of stopping. Tears streamed down his face, making a trail in the soot and ash that smeared all over his frail, tiny body. The child looked like a beggar, and was even malnourished-looking. They watched with pity as the boy ran past them and turned the corner.

"Poor kid…" The red-head next to him sighed.

The prince nodded in agreement as they continued to walk, himself leading the way. "Barry said that he had thought of me as a son, then he really surprised me. He tried to give me money in order to… do something, but I turned it down, needing more time to think."

The amount of weeping townsfolk began to be replaced by nobles and merchants as they moved across the town slowly. The occasional guard would give them a glance before recognizing Rythian, they would then salute, much to his displeasure.

"Just what was this 'something'?" She inquired.

"He wanted us to marry."

She hesitated in her step before looking down. "And what happened after that?"

"I said I'd think about it, then that's about the time you showed up." Rythian finished.

"So…" The amber-eyed girl smiled slightly. "When you said 'I will' to my father…"

"Yes." He let a small smile reveal itself, sadly the mask covered it. Zoey still seemed to be able to tell, though.

"What about your father? Did he agree to this?" She questioned, looping her arm with his.

"I was old enough to discuss it without my father having to be there." He answered her, hoping her rein of questions would end soon.

"Well I'm glad it's you. I'd rather be married to someone I know and love then a stranger, or somebody I don't like." Zoeya grinned slightly.

The noble smirked back, glad that his partner was at least trying to move on from Barry's death.

-SSW-

Soon the massive castle loomed over them. The structure was, for the most part, undamaged. This was probably due to it being made of stone bricks. Nothing reached past the outer wall, so it didn't matter either way. The guards at the entrance nodded at him as they passed, sneaking a warning glance at Zoeya when they _thought _the prince wasn't looking.

"Just don't get lost in here and you'll be fine." He joked as the gates closed behind them.

As they ventured through the halls, Zoeya took in all the decoration that surrounded them with a wide grin on her face. Nobody would've guessed that she had just suffered from loosing a family member. The noble assumed that she was hiding it from everybody, waiting to be alone before allowing her mask to fall.

Since he was so lost in thought, he didn't notice her stop, or the three new people that also occupied the hallway; two of which were guards.

"Hello, son. Glad to see you made it outta' the fire in one piece." The king clamped a hand on his shoulder.

Ravs and Xephos smiled at him from behind their helmets, their way of saying they were also glad.

"And who's this?" The king smiled at the one standing next to him, whose arm was currently still looped with his. Once the king noticed this, his smile slowly started to fade.

He tried to swallow, but found that his mouth was bone dry. "Father… This is Zoey… My betrothed."


	7. The Castle

The kings eyes flared, however he tried to control his temper in front of the others.

Glancing at Xephos, with his voice a sickly sweet, he asked the guard. "Please escort our guest to where she wishes to go, so long as she's allowed of course."

Once they left, the elder man's eyes hardened once more. The intense purple swirled in a whirlwind of emotions, but anger was the key one that stood out most of all.

"Come. You too, Ravs." With that, the man turned around and briskly walked towards the Meeting Hall. The silence on the way there was almost suffocating.

Once inside the room, the King of Magica sat on his seat, while the others followed suit to their own respective seats. A slightly elderly man was sweeping the floor when they arrived, and now watched with interest.

"You there!" Rythian's father pointed towards the man with the broom. "Go gather the senior soldiers, tell them that this is important!"

With a frantic nod, as the old man had picked up on the hostile tension in the air, he raced out the door. The prince watched in dreaded silence as one by one, senior guards began to fill in the empty seats around Ravs.

"NOW! I've called you here for an emergency meeting, because-" He motioned with his hand to Rythian. "-this boy had the nerve to go and arrange to be wed, even though he knew about our plans."

Several cries of outrage rang out as a response, causing the mentioned 'boy' to slowly grow furious. How dare they, they're the ones who plan everything right in front of him, without a care about his wants and desires. He's old enough by law to make his own choices in the kingdom, and his status does give him some degree of power.

"Oh, _I_ have the nerve? I'm not the one who tried to control my son's future. I'm almost nine-teen years of age, father, I believe I can voice my opinions." The Magica Prince finally snapped.

"If you were smart boy, you'd cut the snide remarks." The king growled.

Taking a deep breath he tried to calm himself. "What's done is done, I fulfilled not just my own wants, but also that of a dying man. It was in his last moments that he asked for my decision. Too bad I couldn't give him my answer beforehand…" He muttered the last part under his breath.

The king's gaze didn't waver. But he took a few moments to calm down.

"You don't understand…Even _if _I allowed you to be with that girl, it's not that easy. Before the fire struck, a messenger from Noctua managed to give me a letter. The king there accepted my offer of marrying Prince Rythian and Princess Lomadia. I don't think we can turn back now, even _if _we wanted to." The way the 'if's were spoken proved that there wasn't even a possibility of it happening.

"Surely we can make it work, we can send another messenger and call it off, right?" Rythian asked, desperately wanting hope that he and Zoeya might work out. "They practically lent us their entire army, so the number of soldiers wouldn't be a problem."

"But if we were to call back our own plans that we had originally proposed, it would cause us to look bad." A younger general answered, his brown hair neatly trimmed and the ghost of a beard beginning to grow.

"And besides, if I'm not mistaken, that girl was a peasant. There's no way she could ever become a queen." The king spoke reason, much to Rythian's dismay.

"Not to mention we still have the threat from King Israphel." An older general supplied his own thoughts.

"True. Now, why we start to discuss war plans, why don't you go rest early tonight, Rythian. You seem to need a break for a short while." His father sighed emotionlessly.

The purple-eyed prince had to hold back a growl. He wished they would make up their damn minds! One minute they seem as if they are on his side, then the next they're disagreeing with him, giving him reason why he shouldn't marry Zoeya.

As soon as he left the Meeting Hall, his anger that had been growing and bubbling up inside of him released. He screamed as he punched the brick wall, dropping his hand back to his side as it began to drip blood. Lucky for him, he was far enough away that his scream went unheard by the king and the seniors.

He wandered around, towards places he thought the beautiful red-head would be. Rythian finally found Zoeya dragging Xephos along by his arm, the whole scene looked quite funny. Xephos' feet skidded across the rug as he tried to stop Zoeya from entering certain rooms or hallways.

"Zoey!" Rythian waved towards them, almost instantly, she stopped pulling along Xephos, who -once free- quickly composed himself.

"Hey, Rythian! What did your father say?" She asked, bouncing over to him with a smile.

"Uhh…" His mind went blank. He couldn't possibly tell her, could he?

He was spared from answering as he noticed his hand. "Ohmy- What happened?" She gently brought it closer to get a better look, at the same time, it gave Rythian an idea of just how hard he must've punched the wall.

His finger were swollen in a bright, reddish-pink color. Blood dribbled down from multiple splits in the skin, mostly near the joints. Most of the red liquid came from his knuckles, which seemed to be the worst part of his entire hand.

"I think you might've shattered a few bones around in these areas here." Zoeya murmured, hovering her finger over parts of his knuckle and fingers.

"Well that's too bad." He muttered as Xephos left the room.

"Let's go get you cleaned up, then maybe you could tell me what happened to your hand?" She began to drag him along by his good hand.

They stopped inside his bed chambers. The red-head left him, only to return a short while later with a wet rag and cloth-bandages. She sat next to him on the bed, reaching out for his injured hand once more.

"This might sting." Zoeya briefly warned, her amber eyes gazed into his, seeking permission.

When Rythian made no move to stop her, she proceeded, dabbing at the bloodied appendage with expert care. It was currently too numb for him to feel anything, much less a sting. Once it was cleaned, she wrapped the bandage around it, stopping after it was two layers thick.

"Now will you explain things?" She questioned, leaning into him.

"Well… As for my hand, I… Uhh…" He laughed nervously. "I might've punched a wall."

She scoffed. "Now why would you do that?"

"I was mad at my father." The prince replied simply.

"And just what did your father say?"

He froze up with dread, not wanting to tell her what had happened, but knowing he had to.

"Erm…" Was all he could let out. He hated how whenever he was around her, he almost always locked up and stuttered, he'd have to get better at that.

Sensing his mood change, she rubbed his back, trying to comfort him. "Take your time." She murmured, before letting out a hefty yawn. The tall man saw something dawn across her face. "Where am I going to sleep?" She questioned.

"Do you even have to ask? You can stay here, of course." His purple eyes showed the same kindness towards her as they usually do.

He stood up and walked towards the door. With a simple 'Stay here' he was gone. Rythian walked until he came across a guard, he put his hand out to stop the armored man.

"I need you to get the seamstress, tell her to come to my bed chambers with a night gown. For a woman."

The guard looked at him quizzically before slowly nodding. The Magica Prince groaned as he realized what the guard might've thought. Shaking his head he returned to where Zoeya sat, looking at his bookshelf.

"You have a lot of books." She smiled as the door clicked shut behind him.

"Yeah… Somebody should be bringing you a gown later on." Rythian told her. She nodded, showing she heard him. "Also, as for what the king said… He arranged me to marry Princess Lomadia instead. The counsel also added that you aren't fit to run a kingdom."

She turned to him. "Then what're we gonna do?"

"I know one thing for sure." The violet-eyed prince began, walking closer. He pulled her into a tight hug, feeling her wrap her arms around his body. "We'll find a way. I don't care what it takes, but I swear to you, Zoey, it'll work out."

She nodded into his chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. Another yawn escaped her lips as the gentle beating sound lulled her to sleep, still dressed in her common peasant dress.


	8. The Nightmare

"Mi Lord." A shadowed figure bowed in front of a large throne.

The figure had pale grey skin, that couldn't possibly be healthy. Short, black hair adorned his head, along with a stubble that peppered his chin. His grey eyes, which were a slightly different shade then his skin tone, were trained on the floor.

The man sitting in the throne gazed upon the bowing man, a passive look on his pale face. His bald head rested against his hand as his red eyes seemed to drill into the one who spoke.

"Rise." The pale man sighed in a bored fashion.

The pale man did as told, his armor clanking with his movement.

"Sir, what are our plans? About Magica, I mean."

"Sips, you should know what I want…" The red eyes glowed with hidden malice. "I want Magica to fall by my hand. I want to watch as the king is beheaded and his son begs for mercy. I want the town to be ran red with the blood of the innocent" He spat.

Sips looked unnerved at this, but nodded all the same. He knew that if he were to disagree or stand up to the king, he would not only loose his status, but his head as well.

"Go get the other generals and return at once…" The man hissed, anger and hatred burning inside him, boiling his blood all the way to the very core.

"Yes, King Israphel." Sips replied, bowing, before hurrying out of the room.

-SSW-

Zoeya bolted upright, darkness filling her vision. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. The darkness was actually due to it being the middle of the night, with a faint glow seeping through the window from the moon.

When she had sat up, she felt to restriction that would be caused from her dress. Curious, she glanced down. Instead of what she fell asleep in, she now wore a night gown. The material felt like silk, while the color was a whitish-cream, the gown probably reached to her mid-shin.

How did I… She briefly pondered before she heard a groan next to her.

Laying next to her was none other then Rythian, wearing basic, silk nightwear. His mask was off, laying on the table next to him.

Probably in case he needed to reach it quickly… She mused to herself.

The groan she heard earlier was actually him beginning to wake up. He seemed shocked to see her awake already.

"Zoey..? What's wrong?" He asked, turning on his side to face her.

She laid back again, head resting on the pillows. The red-head released a shaky sigh as she thought of the horrible dream that had just plagued her.

"You'll think it's stupid…"

"No I won't. Try." He reassured her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

"I had a nightmare. In it you-" She broke off as a sob escaped her lips. "Were the o-one who was t-trapped in the house. I-it was y-you who died!"

The prince rubbed her back as she vented her sorrow. The cause of most of it was probably due to her bottling up ever since arriving at the castle. The loss of Barry really effected her, and he could do nothing but be there for her.

"I'm still here, and I always will be." Rythian smiled, and she could actually see it this time.

Not just the movement of cheekbones or the indents behind a mask, she could actually see his lips and his scars. Zoeya smiled before leaning closer. Their lips met in a gentle peck at first, then slowly turned more intense. He ran his hand through her hair while hold her closer. She moaned into his mouth as she gripped the fabric of his shirt. They broke away, both panting.

She rested her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. It smelled like something she couldn't quite place, but it almost smelt... magical, as goofy as that sounded.

"I love you so much, Rythie." She whispered.

"I love you too, Zoey. Try to get some sleep, okay?" He grinned, earning a slight nod from the redhead.

The nightmare didn't return again.


	9. The Birthday

Sunlight filtered in through the same window as the night before, hitting Rythian in the face. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head of the sleepiness. Looking to his side, he saw Zoeya still sleeping. A few red strands of hair feel in front of her face. Unable to resist, he brushed the strand away and planted a kiss on her forehead. Amber eyes met his own as a result.

"Morning." She smiled as a yawn escaped her lips.

"Morning." He returned the greeting with a smile. "Didn't mean to wake you up…" The prince trailed off.

The fiery-haired girl stretched and let out a content sigh. "Nah, it's fine."

He watched in mild amusement as she then proceeded to burrow herself into the pillows, pulling the blankets over her head.

"We need to get dressed if we want breakfast." Rythian pointed out, getting to his feet.

The one remaining in the bed groaned and replied with a muffled voice. "But it's so cold, Rythie…"

"Come on, Zoey…" He nudged the bundle of blankets.

Then an idea struck him, causing him to grin with mischief.

"If you don't get out of bed… I'll just have to make you, now won't I?"

"You wouldn't." Was her simple reply from the bundle.

With the grin still on his face, he gently grabbed the edge of the quilts at the far end of the bed, being sure to grab each layer. Before his soon-to-be wife could ponder his sudden silence, he yanked the blankets back, uncovering his partner in the process.

"You'll pay for that." She playfully glared before finally climbing out of bed. "I'll strike when you least expect it." She smirked when he stiffened.

He watched as she looked around for clothes from the day before cutting in.

"Your dress was covered in ash and had more then a few tears in it. I got the seamstress to you a new change of clothes, I'm sure you'll find it to your liking. If not we could always go there later and get different clothes…" As he was explaining this, he tidied the room up some.

After that, Rythian went and grabbed a pile of clothing that he had set aside. The pile consisted of a light grey shirt and blank trousers. Simple, leather boots rested sideways atop the pile.

"Are you sure I'm able to wear this?" Zoeya questioned, referring to the gender-laws that governed the kingdom.

"You're the exception." The prince smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She grabbed the clothing in his arms and gave him a quick kiss, she then went into the bathroom connected to his own room to get changed. As she was doing this, he decided to get dressed as well.

Once she was finished, he opened the door for her and waited. This caused her to scoff, even though a smile was slipping onto her features. She exited the room muttered something about 'Gentlemen'

They talked about nothing in particular as she looped her arm in his. The redhead seemed to love doing that. When the door met their sights, Rythian pushed it open, only to be thoroughly confused. The torches were lit, even though the sun was out, the burning sticks on the walls cast a strange dance of patterned on the stone brick flooring. While he entered, people kept giving him hefty pats on the back and kept trying to give him a drink, or they sometimes offered nicely cooked slabs of pork.

It wasn't until Ravs came up to them, along with his words, did the prince realize what it was.

"Ahh, my boy. It was on this day, nineteen years ago you were born." The general smiled, clamping a hand on the young man's shoulder, opposite to the side Zoeya was standing.

"You didn't tell me this, Rythie. I would've done something!" She frowned at the noble next to her.

Ravs laughed, all the while repeating 'Rythie' under his breath before breaking out into another fit of laughter. He led them over to a table with the others.

"Now who's this young lady?" Nilesy smiled from his side of the large wooden table.

"I'm Zoeya, but I prefer Zoey." She smiled warmly at the towerguard.

"Yeah, she's Rythian's 'lady friend' if ya know what I mean." Ravs nudged Nilesy in the ribs, causing them both to grin.

Honeydew on the other hand, from his usual position next to Xephos, howled with laughter. The mentioned man sitting next to him just sighed and rested his face in his hand. The short, ginger-bearded man was probably already drunk, that wouldn't be good for his duty as a guard, seeing as the sun had only just risen.

"You're drunk already, friend?" Xephos groaned, voicing everybody's thoughts.

"I'm not drunk! Just a- bit tipsy is all…" The dwarf-like man replied stubbornly, earning a headshake from the blue-eyed guard.

"Let me help you back to your chambers, you need to be sobered up for our night patrols tonight." Xephos muttered, leading Honeydew away from the table. However he stopped and turned around, giving a small wave and grin in Rythian's direction. "Oh, and congratulations!"

"Yesh" Honeydew replied with a bit of a lisp. "CONGRADULATIONS!" His shout had some accent twisted into it as it drifted down the hall.

Zoeya chuckled at the ginger's antics while everybody else just shook their heads.

"Now then! A toast! To Rythian!" Ravs called out, raising his mug of beer high.

The rest of the table, including a few from other tables held their own mugs up high.

"TO RYTHIAN!" The cry echoed throughout the Mess Hall.

The prince smiled slightly. "Thanks guys you know how much I appreciate-"

He was cut off by a messenger tugging on his sleeve.

"What is it?" He questioned at the young boy who was starting to shake under his gaze.

His face softened at the frightened kid, which seemed to ease the said boy's nerves enough to deliver the news.

"T-The king request to see you in the M-Meeting Hall. At once. A-Alone."

"Very well…" The noble sighed, getting up. "I should be back soon, guys. Don't wait up, okay?" He smirked, leaving the Hall.

As he walked down the hallways, he wondered what his father wanted. Maybe to discuss his marriage plans? He growled inwardly at the thought.

When the noble arrived, he threw open the doors to the Meeting Hall, expecting to see his father sitting on his throne. However what he saw was not what he expected. The door slammed shut behind him as he stood in shock and horror.

His father was being held by the throat, a dagger poking at his neck. The person holding the dagger was a familiar person who wore a huge grin. This person was somebody he never expected to see trying to kill his father, the king of Magica.

That person, was none other then his rival. Lalna.

* * *

**_Ohh I'm so evil... I have plans... And they will crush your feels... 3:)_**


	10. The Torture

"You. Wouldn't. Dare." Rythian hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh I wouldn't, would I? You took away Zoey, I want to watch you suffer, I want you to feel sorrow, I want you to feel the pain that I had to feel WATCHING YOU TWO!" The teal-eyed man screeched out, rearing the dagger back.

Before Rythian could make a move to stop him, Lalna plunged the blade deep within the king's throat. The life faded from his eyes immediately after. Lalna pulled out the blade as blood began to spurt out of the open wound, he then dropped the king's body on the floor.

He turned to Rythian with cold hatred in his eyes and threw the dagger. The sharp object landed a couple feet in front of the noble, sliding his way to his feet.

"You missed." Rythian smirked.

"No I didn't." Lalna replied in a sly manner, before opening the window closest to him.

The blonde stood on the window seal with his back facing Rythian, but it was only for a split second. No where near enough time for the prince to react to the open opportunity of an attack.

"I hope you burn in Hell." Lalna hissed before leaping out the window.

Still stunned, Rythian ran to the window, only to see his father's killer land in a bale of hay, then run away. The prince ground his teeth in frustration. That man would pay for killing his father… With a frown, he looked over at his father's body. He was snapped out of his trance by loud shouting.

"THIS WAY! I heard screaming from the Meeting Hall!" A guard yelled to who knows how many other guards.

They burst through the large double doors and stopped cold. They took a moment to observe the bloody knife on the floor, the king's body, and the open window Rythian was currently standing next to.

"Look, I can explain…" The prince raised his hands up and backed into the wall. "This isn't what it looks like."

He glanced through the open doors, seeing none other then Ravs, Nilesy, and Zoeya standing in shock. He threw them a desperate look, hoping they would believe him.

"The prince murdered his own father! GET THE TRAITOR!" The lead guard screamed, charging towards the noble.

The said noble tried to sidestep the oncoming guard, but bumped into another, much larger, guard. Before that guard could get a good grip on him, Rythian dashed away and began to run towards the doors. He was tackled from behind and the side at the same time, yet he somehow managed to stay standing, even though the guards were tugging him roughly around. Another guard with a rope began to approach as yet another guard restrained him.

"Rythian!" Zoeya called out, beginning to leap for the said man. However Nilesy and Ravs kept her back.

He faintly heard Ravs tell her to stay out of this as his hands were bound behind his back. He tried to kick the man behind him and succeeded. The noble pulled himself forward, weakening the grip of the remaining guards. He then sprinted away, head-butting a guard in the stomach when he got in Rythian's way.

Sadly his freedom didn't last as he felt a blow delivered to his spine, then to the base of his head. He fell forward as black engulfed his vision.

-SSW-

Ughhh…. My head… Where am I? Rythian groaned, he was aware that he rested on his knees, hands bound in front of him in contrast to before. When he opened his eyes, his vision was still black. It took a moment to realize that a bag was over his head, along with a rope tied around his neck.

"We are here today, for the punishment of a traitor!" A man's voice announced from somewhere behind him.

The bag was roughly snatched away, pulling his head back in the process. The prince had to blink several times to get adjusted to the brightness, he then took in his surroundings. He was in townsquare with the surviving townsfolk crowded in front of him.

A bright red cloak caught his attention, however it wasn't the cloak that done it, it was the beauty underneath it. Zoey! She pulled the cloak closer over her shoulders as the hood was drawn up. Her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.

The noble turned his head slightly to see a man with a parchment, probably the one who was talking. Several other men where armed and surrounded the platform they were currently on, while the townsfolk stood maybe a foot below them.

"He is to be punished for the murder of the king, being a traitor, and resisting our forces. He is to be stripped as his title of 'Prince' before his punishments and will be shown no mercy." The man spat with venom in his words.

"Now, go get the whip…" He growled to a guard who nodded and retrieved a whip from somewhere Rythian couldn't see.

Two other guards held him down, keeping both of their hands on each of his shoulders in order to keep him on his knees. He barely noticed as the third man, the one with the whip, disappeared behind him. A sudden gust of air hit his back as his shirt was yanked up, exposing his back.

"Now you will tell us why you did it, boy…" The speaking man hissed his ear, grabbing a handful of his hair in doing so. He released it and backed away with a sigh. "Begin."

A faint sound, similar to a whistle, could be heard before an almighty '_SLAP' _Rythian felt the burning pain explode in his back as he tried desperately to flinch, however the two men holding him down made it difficult. The only thing he could do was bite back a scream.

'_SLAP' _He almost let out a scream then, but he held back, not wanting to give them the satisfaction of hearing him in pain. He knew how these things worked, after all…

'_SLAP' _The pain that constantly drilled his back was too much, his lips parted as a wail arose from his throat.

"It would be a lot easier if you just gave us answers…" The speaker taunted.

'_SLAP' _Another strike, another explosion in his nerves. He screamed once more, but was interrupted by another _'SLAP' ._ He almost felt like whimpering, he desperately searched for Zoeya in the crowd, he needed some type of comfort from seeing her.

'_SLAP' _Rythian finally found her, her gaze watering already at him being in pain. The now former prince tried to give her a reassuring smile, but that smile was wiped clean from his face by another hit from the whip.

'_SLAP' _He was sure he was going to get horrible scars from this, he had to be bleeding with how hard that guard was hitting him. He let out a throaty groan as another slash was delivered to his back.

"SPEAK!" The parchment holding man shouted over the sound of the cracking noises of the whip.

'_SLAP' _

"IT WASN'T ME! I was framed-" He tried to get out while his mind was fuzzy from the numbing anguish his body was facing right now.

'_SLAP'_

"SPEAK THE TRUTH, VERMIN!" The man was fuming mad now.

'_SLAP'_

"It wasn't me! It was-" He yelped as another blow hit him, by now tears had started to form in his eyes.

He tried hard to blink them away, tried hard to stay awake, but the pain was unbearable. He had to keep strong for Zoey's sake, because he knew she was watching this with the rest of town. Rythian knew that it was probably hurting her just to watch.

'_SLAP' _

The noise kept echoing throughout the quiet town with his screams and wails that accompanied them. The constant whipping had gone well into the evening. He had lost consciousness several times, only to be slapped awake by a guard. He was determined to keep from failing, he absolutely could NOT fail. He couldn't fail Zoeya, he couldn't fail his friends, and he couldn't fail his kingdom either… Even if they are the cause for his current torturing.

As soon as the moon was high in the sky, the whipping stopped. The noble was forcefully shoved down on his back, landing in something wet and sticky. Landing there only made things worse. He assumed that he was lying in his own blood. If that were the case, then they'd whipped him harder then he originally thought.

With a groan he tried to roll over, only for a heavy metal boot to step on his back. Rythian let out a low hiss as the pressure of the boot intensified.

"Well… Since we've spent enough time trying to get you to talk, as well as just having fun… Time for the final part of the punishment." The speaker chuckled, dragging the noble to his feet.

Around that time, a large guillotine was rolled onto the platform, and Rythian instinctively backed away. He snuck a glance towards Zoey once again, funny that even when he was going through all this, all he was concerned about was her. He knew as well as she did that there was no way around this, that this was the end.

A guard shoved him, causing his back to flare up with red-hot, searing pain once more. He let out a moan has he was once more pushed in the back, only this time he landed on top of the wood in the guillotine. His head was pushed into the groove and the top half of the wood was clamped over the top of it. He couldn't try to run at this point even if he wanted to…

A man with a large axe walked closer to the rope that was attached to the blade. The sharp end of the axe trailed on the ground causing sparks to jump out.

Zoeya had risked getting closer to him, so she was now within earshot. Tears has finally broken through and were now cascading down her face.

"Rythian…" She whimpered.

He tried to give her a reassuring smile. A way to make her feel slightly better, knowing that he was accepting his unfair demise and that he was accepting fate. The smile was bittersweet, but it didn't completely reach his eyes. Instead, passion and sorrow intermingled in a fight for dominance.

The axe-man hefted the sharp instrument above his head, swinging it down towards the rope.

"I love you, Zoey." He choked out, he couldn't cry, not now, not when he needed to be strong for the both of them.

"I love you too."

'_SWISH'_

* * *

**_Evil cliffhanger 3:)_**


	11. Teep

'_SWISH'_

Rythian waited for death, when he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes. He saw that Zoeya was staring at the guard who had yet to cut the rope. Arrows were lodged deep into his chest, he was obviously dead where he lay. More arrows flew from an unknown source, pegging all the other guards before they had a chance to do anything.

A young boy jumped down from a nearby rooftop, landing safely on his feet with a roll. He wore a dark green robe, with the hood covering most of his face, however emerald green eyes shone through the shadow. He grabbed another arrow and knocked it in the bowstring. The arrow was released and found it's resting place in the forehead of the speaker, his parchment falling to the ground.

As soon as the guards were taken care of, Zoeya jumped onto the platform with ease, seeing as she wore more suitable clothing now. She unlatched the brace that held Rythian under the guillotine and had to restrain her hug so she wouldn't hurt him worse. A mutual understanding passed between them, they could relax later, for now they had to get out of there.

Rythian looked over at his savior, who was waiting patiently for them, keeping an arrow pointed at the ground and ready to fire. The boy motioned for them to follow as he raced through the streets. They often had to take frequent break because of the former prince's injuries, but they pushed through. Finally the town was all but a distant memory, as the trees rustled in the wind, the chirping of birds, the sweet smell of nature.

They found a cave to stay the night in, before the moon had risen too high. As soon as he step foot into the cave, he laid facedown on the cold stone floor with a groan. With a frown, Zoeya sat next to him, running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Rythie. It's too dark for me to try and find herbs…" She sighed, wishing she could do more.

"Hey Mr. Savior, you have a name?" Rythian mumbled, with his head resting on his arms.

The boy nodded and grabbed a stick from just outside the cave he came back and scratched something in the dirt.

_Teep_

"Teep, huh? Can you speak?" Zoeya asked, glancing up from the name to the boy in question.

Teep only shook his head no and clamped a hand over his neck. After that, he left the cave once again, coming back with an armful of sticks this time. The young archer arranged all the sticks and placed loose stones around them. He then grabbed a small bundle of dried grass and set it aside, instead searching for something on the ground. Finally finding what he was looking for, he picked up two average-looking rocks and sat back down. Teep scraped the rocks over the grass several times before a spark bounced into the dried little bundle. Excited now, the boy carefully grabbed the bundle of grass and gently blew.

Rythian watched with Zoeya as the small flame grew bigger until most of the grass in his hands was aflame. It was at that point the archer placed the grass in the pit. Soon a roaring fire was crackling with warmth and light that seemed to dance off of the cave walls.

Teep looked at them with a goofy grin on his face, almost as if expecting something.

"Good job, Tee!" Zoeya smiled, then blinked in shock. "Ohmy- We haven't even told you our names yet! I'm Zoey, and this 'ol grump here is Rythian."

Rythian muttered something along the lines of 'Not a grump', but because his face was buried it was somewhat hard to understand.

Teep grinned at their goofiness before leaning against the wall. It wasn't long before the boy was fast asleep. Rythian turned his head to the side and stared off into space while the redhead continued to sit right next to him.

"I was scared… Rythie…" She whispered, breaking the silence. "I was so scared of loosing you then, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"

She tried to get those mental pictures out of her mind, he's right here and safe, why should she be so sad?

"I was scared that you would break your promise of always being here with me… I was scared of what was to come to my life if-" She broke off, no longer able to stop the tears that began to dribble down to her chin.

Angry for crying so much, she slammed her fist on the cold, stone floor. Teep shifted in his sleep, but for the most part stayed silent.

Rythian winced as he sat up and gave her a tight hug. She gratefully buried her face into his shirt as his warm body pressed against hers. The way his arms wrapped around her brought a scene of comfort and protection. So that she didn't hurt him by touching his back, she just balled up the fabric of his shirt with her hands.

He just soothed her pain, rubbing her back, giving her gentle kisses every now and then on the top of the head, along with whispering calming things to her. She had calmed down a short while ago, yet they still stayed as close as physically possible.

"You know…" Rythian smiled as he realized something. "Since I'm no longer the prince… Nothing is stopping us from being married…"

"Do you really want to give up your heritage just for me?" Zoeya muttered with a sigh.

"I would give up everything for you…" He replied gently, pressing his forehead against hers.

She stayed silent before a yawn hit her.

"Get some rest, we'll need to get supplies from a town tomorrow. I should still have enough gold to last us for a short while…" Rythian slowly laid back down on his side, bringing Zoeya with him.

She was still buried into his chest as she fell asleep. He relaxed some, without the strain of having to hide his pain from his back. Thinking about it, first thing in the morning, he'd have to treat it, before it bleeds again or gets infected.

That'll just have to wait for tomorrow. He yawn and snuggled closer to his partner, considering they were already close it wasn't much a difference. There was nobody keeping them apart now, they could finally be together. Yet King Israphel was still going to attack, and Lalna is out there somewhere. All these thoughts started to stress him out, so he blocked them out.

For now, he could just relax.


	12. The Town

Rythian awoke to find his arms empty. A brief flash of panic washed through him as he sat upright. He was gently pushed back down by a warm hand.

"Relax." Zoeya smiled, causing him to listen without question.

He glanced at what she was doing, finding out that bandages wrapped all around his torso. The redhead was just finishing up tying the last of it. A strong smell filled the air. As he was about to question what it was, the amber-eyed woman answered for him.

"I went out and gathered the herbs this morning. They'll help you heal faster and also numb the injury." She replied to his unspoken question simply.

"You went _alone_? Do you know what could've happened if you got caught?" The man's voice raised in concern.

"Nobody would be out here this far, it's deep in the forest! Besides, I didn't stray too far away from the cave." Came the slightly stubborn reply.

"Still! You shouldn't have-" He was interrupted by a cough rising in his throat.

Rythian reached his fist up to his mouth while the coughing continued. Once it resided, he sighed and stared at the cave's ceiling.

"We'll need to get supplies today… But how are we going to stay anonymous?" He sighed, glancing at his partner.

"Well I have a cloak… That might help keep my face hidden well enough. Plus if we stay in the crowds, it might be harder to pick us out."

"But I don't have a cloak and I'm the one who needs to stay hidden the most." The former prince reasoned.

It was around that time that Teep stretched awake. He looked between the two, wondering what was going on, so Zoeya filled him in. The boy grinned as he grabbed his bag off of his back. The other two only just noticed this, as it was hidden from view underneath his forest-green cloak. He dug around for awhile until he pulled out another cloak, only instead of being the same shade as his own, it was solid black. Teep then tossed the fabric at Rythian, who caught it.

"I guess you would need a spare, huh?" The older male grinned. It made sense if Teep lived in the woods beforehand.

He stood up and threw the cloak around his shoulders, pulling the hood up enough to cover his eyes. With the mask that covered the rest of his face, you couldn't see any skin exposed unless you were really close. He turned to Zoeya, then back at Teep.

"Should we go now?" He asked, checking that he still had his pouch of coins. Luckily he did.

"Sure." She smiled, pulling her own hood up. Teep already had his up, so he just nodded.

"Then let's go."

-SSW-

After trekking through the forest for about an hour, they stepped out of the cover of the trees. Below the hill they stood on was a large village, bustling with energy and life. With a nod, Rythian led the way. When they entered the town, they tried to stay out of sight. They really hoped they weren't too suspicious.

They located the marketplace without too much trouble and decided to split up.

"Look, us all grouped together makes us look more suspicious. Plus it'll make things go faster. Zoey, you can get the fruit. Teep, you can get the meat. Not too much meat though, we don't want it to go bad before we can eat it. I'll get the supplies we need, blankets and the like. We meet back up here." Rythian explained in a low voice as he pulled them somewhere secluded.

The glanced around before dividing up his gold between the three of them. After that they parted, setting out to do their own tasks.

He watched the two of them in his peripheral vision until he couldn't see them any longer. Fires weren't always going to cover it, with the cold winds starting to bring snow in as Fall changed to Winter, so he decided that heavy blankets where going to be needed as opposed to light sheet-like ones. Not only that, but maybe some first aid supplies would be a smart thing to buy. Maybe a few canteens as well?

The once-noble man broke out of his thoughts when he saw a seamstress behind a stall. Several articles of clothing where neatly folded into piles according to type/size/etc… Further down the wooden counter where hand-made quilts and other assorted sleep-ware. The lady glanced up at him as he walked up to the tarp-covered stall.

"Two heavy quilts, please. Doesn't need to be fancy." He smiled faintly as the woman nodded.

She came back with two folded bundles in her arms. One was a light tan and brown, while the other was a greyish color and had white squares of cloth sewn on.

"That'll be two gold and five silver." The seamstress held a hand over the blankets in a possessive way, awaiting payment.

He took out the required amount of coins and placed them on the wood, next to the pile. The lady clamped her other hand over the coins and, at the same time, pulled back the one over the merchandise. With a final nod, the purple-eyed man took the pile and left, stuffing the cloth into a burlap sack he had brought with him.

Rythian sighed as he watched the people crowd around the streets. By the time he had gotten everything, the others where already at the meeting place. Teep was carrying a small crate that he assumed held all the meat. Zoeya had a couple burlap bags over her shoulder and a grin lit up her face once she saw him.

He returned her smile as he began to lead the way down the street. They shouldn't be here longer then they absolutely had to be.

By the time they arrived back to the cave, night had fallen, causing them to stumble through the forest on their way there several times. The fact that they where carrying supplies made it much worse. Just to be safe, the oldest fugitive stacked his own supplies on top of the crate that Teep was holding, then carried it himself. Seeing the unspoken message, the archer readied his bow. They were fairly certain they were alone out here, but one cannot be too careful, now could they?

Once back at their little 'home', he set all the supplies up against the far wall, away from the fire pit in the center of the small cavern.

"We'll probably need to find a better place to stay soon." He sighed, watching as Teep began to ready the fire. "I know we need to keep moving, but maybe, once we're far enough away, we can actually settle. You're welcome to live with us, Tee, unless you planned to leave sometime soon."

The mute looked up and shook his head. His emerald orbs stared right back at his own purple. Several conflicting emotions swirled about in the boy's eyes; hurt, sorrow, longing, and something else that Rythian couldn't quite place. He still got the message however, as the youngest in the group's shoulders slumped slightly and he focused on starting a fire, that something bad must've happened to the boy.

Zoeya watched them with interest as she munched on an apple, leaving them to their own thoughts. The rhythm of crunching filled the silence as he was lost in his thoughts. Teep had gotten out a cut of meat from the crate and placed it over the fire. Once it was cooked, the smell wafted around the cave. When Zoeya was offered a piece, she turned it down, instead Teep split the cooked pork with Rythian.

Soon after they had finished, they took and bundled up in the blankets. Teep rested in the same spot as the night before, having his own blanket all to himself, while the former noble and peasant shared their own.

The redhead curled up against him, closing her arms around his torso. He held back a slight hiss of pain as her hands brushed against his back. She gasped out a 'Sorry' and moved her hands around his neck. She nuzzled into his neck as he draped an arm over her side. He breathed out a 'Goodnight' which she returned. The warmth of the fire, the blankets, and from each other would surely keep them warm in case of snow tonight.

This peace was certainly something he could get used to.


	13. Chief Inthelittlewood

Rythian woke to darkness once more, he held back a groan. Not another bag over his head… He was more concerned however, about where the others where and who captured them. He was hoping it wasn't Magica, they wouldn't think twice to kill them.

Just as he thought, when he went to move his hands, he discovered that they where bound behind his back around what felt like a post.

"I see they are awake…" A voice spoke slowly. The voice was very deep and sounded male.

"Good." Another, younger, male voice responded.

The bag was pulled off his head. He glanced around for the others, only to find that the were bound to the post as well. Teep was already trying to tear the restraints off, while Zoeya seemed to be in the same state as he was.

His gaze rested on a small crowd of men, all dressed in a strange manner. The men had strange paint and symbols smeared on their bare chests. Some type of vine wrapped around their arms, while pieces of bark on the arms and shoulders acted as armor. They also wore plain, animal-skin trousers and walked bare-foot. Spears and swords were at the ready.

One blonde-haired man walked forward, wearing a lime green tunic and dark grey trousers. A golden vest covered the tunic. The young man carried an air of dominance, so Rythian assumed this man to be the leader of the group. A strange swirl was painted onto his green clothing, in the center of his chest.

After observing them for a few seconds, the purple-eyed man blinked in surprise. These people had pointed ears!

"Who are you?" The one with the vest asked. He matched the second voice.

"I could ask you that…" Rythian replied, glaring.

The other laughed as a breeze passed through the forest. "I am Chief Inthelittlewood, leader of the Woodland Tribe. My scouts found you in our territory, hiding away in a cave. Mind telling me what you were doing there?"

"It's complicated…" He trailed off, looking at the ground.

Inthelittlewood nodded. "Are you here to harm us? Not like you would tell us if you were, of course… That can only be decided when you actually tell us your story."

"We didn't even know you were here. We were running from someone and we needed a place to hide. As for our names… The boy over there is Tee, this is Zoey, and I'm Rythian." The former prince introduced.

The Chief smiled slightly. "You aren't by chance the prince of Magica, are you?"

"I was… Then something happened and we ran. How do you know of me?"

"Just because we live deep in a forest doesn't mean we don't know what's going on. I hear that you were charged with the murder of your father, am I right?" Inthelittlewood asked with a guarded expression.

"I was framed." Rythian muttered. "What do you care? You'll just kill me anyway."

"I won't kill an honest man." The blonde smiled and, from the look given to him, explained further. "I can tell you aren't lying. I can tell from the way your heart beats that you're speaking the truth. Elves have special abilities, don't you know?"

He was silent, looking between Inthelittlewood, his tribe, and Zoeya. Teep was on the opposite side of the post, so he couldn't see the young marksman.

A couple of the tribesmen came forward and cut them free. While he stretched, he waited for the Chief to say something.

"You're welcome to stay with us for awhile, if you like." Inthelittlewood offered.

"That would be nice." Zoeya smiled.

With a bright smile, the blue-eyed man lead the way through the forest. The trees and plants seemed to move out of the way of the small party of people. Rythian only then noticed that it was still night, and that the group seemed to be walking with a light following them. He couldn't see any sort of object or torch that would've lit up the forest. Shrugging it off, he felt his partner entwine her fingers with his and lean into him slightly. Pretty soon a large clearing came into view.

Tents littered the large area, made with the skin of an unidentifiable animal. One large bonfire was in the center of the plain, while a few others where located farther away. Logs were rolled near these fires, far enough away to not catch the flame, but close enough to feel the warmth it provided. Several dozen people sat around the bonfire, while even more were scattered around. Mothers watched their children play, while young men told tales of adventure. The whole place was bustling with activity.

"This is the mother clearing, there are more spaced out in the forest. However my tent is located here." The Chief explained, leading them to a noticeably larger tent near the center of the clearing.

As the young leader passed, several children stopped and waved at him. With a smile, Inthelittlewood returned them. The other men that traveled with them broke off and went about their own business.

When the fugitives and the leader entered the tent, the people inside stopped and looked up. One younger man with brown hair and eyes, who looked to be younger then Teep, jumped up and hugged the Chief. The brown-haired male didn't seem to have the ears of an elf.

"You're back, Martyn!" The boy buried his face into the tunic of the young man.

"I wasn't gone for long, Toby. In fact I have guests who are going to stay for awhile." Inthelittlewood laughed. "The rest of you are dismissed." He directed at the other men in the tent.

With a nod, they all filed out the tent's flap. After all the introductions for Toby's sake, they sat around the wooden table that the other men were previously seated at. They learned that Toby was actually a human that Inthelittlewood allowed to stay with the tribe.

"So how long were you planning on staying?" Toby asked them.

Rythian turned to the others, who each gave him a shrug. So, when he turned back to Toby, he repeated a shrug of his own.

"As long as we need to I guess… So long as Inthelittlewood doesn't mind."

"You can call me Martyn, if you'd like. Usually Inthelittlewood is used for formalities. Also, you can stay however long you want. We can easily set up three tents for you guys." The blonde replied with a grin.

"Two tents are fine." Zoeya grinned, causing the blonde to smirk.

"Ahh… Mates?" Martyn gave them a knowing look.

"W-What? That sounds… Animalistic…" Rythian began, but was cut off by the Chief.

"Elves don't have the same traditions, I said that out of habit. Humans call it Marriage though…" Martyn sighed. "Two tents it is then."

"Ya know, love is a big part of the culture." Toby added, looking between them.

Teep smiled at the reaction of his two friends before looking around the room.

"Well… Technically we aren't married yet…" Zoeya avoided eye contact with the Chief.

"But you want to be, right?" Toby questioned, earning a slight glare from Inthelittlewood.

"We have no right to really be asking these things, Toby." The Woodland Elf spoke with a slight frown.

"Nah… It's fine. We just haven't really had the time to arrange anything…" Rythian sounded.

"We can throw a ceremony for you here, given it'll be with our customs, but we can throw in your own customs as well. Bands of metal are exchanged, right? We can include that." Inthelittlewood grinned like a child on a holiday.

"That sounds fun! Would do you say, Rythian?" Zoeya turned to the man in question.

"Whatever you want, it's fine with me." He smiled behind his mask.

"Good, we'll prepare and explain tomorrow, then have the ceremony at night. For now, go enjoy yourselves." Martyn got up and left only to come back a short time later. "This man will show you to your tents."

The tribesman nodded in agreement as motioned for them to follow. The cool breeze swept through the clearing as they were lead away to their respective tents.


	14. The Ceremony

_**Not really happy with how this turned out, but things should be better/back to normal by next chapter.**_

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Rythian stood atop a large, smooth stone that was no more then a foot above ground level. The rock was located behind the Chief's tent, and was illuminated by burning torches. A fair amount of the tribes-people came to watch, even though they probably had no idea who he was, and sat on row upon row of thick logs. Teep was easily recognized on one of the front rows, but Toby was seated right next to the marksman. When Teep saw Rythian's gaze, he gave a toothy smile.

Turning his attention elsewhere, he took in his own appearance for what had to be the tenth time.

He was dressed in a forest green tunic, solid black trousers, boots, and to top it all off, a fancy leather belt with a shining gold clasp. However, the mask stayed on, much to Inthelittlewood's protests.

Soon, the Chief himself walked towards the stone, a pink-haired elf following closely behind. The pinkette, he learned, was named Kaeyi. He also found out that she was Martyn's mate.

The duo stopped near him, both dropping a velvet pillow at their feet.

"Go ahead and sit." Inthelittlewood said from his place beside Rythian, motioning to the cushion closest to the former prince.

Doing as he was told, he sat on his knees, thankful for the soft pillows. Without them, the ceremony would be much more uncomfortable.

"Now." Chief Inthelittlewood got the attention of the crowd. "We shall begin."

Excited murmurs swept throughout the tribes-folk while Kaeyi left the clearing. The female elf returned moments later with a familiar redhead in tow, as well as a small tray carrying several bowls and other things of that nature.

He was currently thankful for the mask that covered most of his face, otherwise people would've seen his jaw drop slightly. As quick as it happened, Rythian composed himself. Zoeya was absolutely stunning, in his opinion.

Clad in an olive green dress that reached her knees, while the front and back went further down to the middle of her shin. The whole thing was styled in a way that reminded him of leaves. A brown belt that mirrored his own hung around her waist and over the top of the Elvin dress. The simple boots she wore somehow seemed more elegant when put with everything else. Green and blue beads hung from a woven string as a type of jewelry. The beaded string was tied in a loop and rested on her head, the beads hanging over her forehead. The woven jewelry also wrapped around her lower arm and wrists, some parts of it hanging slightly.

Kaeyi went back to her earlier place beside Martyn as the redhead sat across from the once-royal, then the ceremony truly began.

"Does anybody have any objections to these two joining?" The Chief began, his bright-blue eyes scanning the crowd.

The people didn't even know them, so there wasn't much point in asking besides keeping the tradition. When nobody said anything, the blonde nodded to his partner. Kaeyi grabbed a golden bowl from the tray, filled with a reddish liquid.

"This is the sap from a Hist tree. If you drink the sap, your spirits are released, free to intermingle and bond…" Martyn spoke as Kaeyi handed the bowl to the amber-eyed woman in front of him.

After swallowing some of the sap for herself, she handled it over to him, allowing him to take his own drink. Martyn then took the dish away, placing it back on the tray and switching it with a much larger wooden bowl. The wooden bowl was filled with some type of black paste and a slightly pointed stick.

"Now it's time for the marking." Inthelittlewood grinned, almost as if he was a child. It made Rythian realize how young the man looked, around his own age.

"The marking is the part where you make your promises and vows." Kaeyi spoke for the first time in the entire ceremony. "These marking are permanent, you give them to each other while the vows are exchanged. Once you complete, it seals your bond that was formed by the Hist sap." She finished, handing the bowl to him.

Rythian took the object and observed the items a bit closer. The paste looked chalky, but also oily at the same time, the stick, as he found out, had a point to it. This caused his eyes to widen slightly.

Seeing the mildly surprised look on his face, Martyn spoke up calmly. "The point is only used for accuracy, much like how you use the feathers of a bird to neaten your literature."

With a nod, the disowned man hesitantly grabbed the stick and held it as if holding a quill. He scooped up a tad of the paste on the end of the point and thought for a moment. He thought of what Inthelittlewood told him before this began, about how the Chief explained the process in further detail then he did here. The thoughts didn't linger on that for long, as the soon thought of what to mark her with.

"I vow to always protect you, even if you insist you don't need it." He began, starting to mark her arm.

He made a blocky line, wrapping all the way around her upper arm. He wasn't finished, however, as he started on the other arm, mirroring it's left counterpart.

"I vow to always love you, even if we're separated by miles." He had stopped to get a bit more of the paste, but the small amount barely made a noticeable dent in the rest of the black stuff.

"And I vow to make you happy, by doing whatever is within my power." He finished with a smile, completing the second mark.

Her warm smile reflected his own as she spoke the words that were a part of the custom. "As do I."

He passed the bowl over to her, awaiting her own vows as she readied the paste and thought. After a moment of silence, the redhead reached forward for his hand.

"I vow to always take care of you, and heal you when you are sick or injured." Zoeya started, beginning to mark the back of his hand.

The pattern so far was a simple circle, but as he watched, that circle slowly turned into something close to a sun.

"I vow that no matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

By now, she had finished the sun, which looked tribal. She was now marking bands around the base of each one of his fingers.

"And I vow to always help you when you need it." She finished the marking.

"As do I." He spoke his own part, watching as Kaeyi then took away the bowl, replacing it with two simple, silver rings.

They exchanged the bands of what looked like silver, each with a smile still evident on their faces. Then, his amber-eyed partner pulled down the mask that was on his face and gave him a passionate kiss, which he happily returned. The tribes-people cheered as they broke away, and after searching for the boy in the crowd, the former noble smiled. Teep was the one who appeared the most excited and happy for then, shown from the way he clapped and grinned, even though he was also the most quiet.

They stood up and turned to Chief Inthelittlewood. The blonde smiled and nodded, resulting in them running away from the others. The final part of the ceremony, spending an entire day alone in the forest, before returning back to the village. His redheaded partner had no trouble at all running, as the dress seemed to be made in order to do just that.

After they left the clearing and entered the forest, they slowed to a walk. His partner had removed the beads from her hair, improvising and retying it to one of her arms. She stopped and observed the back pattern on her afore mentioned appendage.

"It doesn't feel real, does it?" He asked her with a slight laugh.

"No, not really…" She agreed, continuing to walk alongside him.

Idle chi-chat and the occasional laugh filled the silence as they watched the night slowly approach. They knew then, at that moment, that things could only get better from there.


	15. The Clearing

Zoeya cracked open her eyes, sights met with green fabric. After a moment, a yawn sounded from her mouth. She shifted slightly as she tried to take in her surroundings. Sunlight leaked through the branches high overhead, illuminating the grassy clearing from the previous night, while the sound of swaying leaves in the wind and the chirping of birds filled the air. The redhead currently rested atop her still-sleeping partner, Rythian; the green fabric coming from his tunic.

She simply opted to watch him as his chest rose and fell with each breath. The motion brought a sense of peace and calmness to her. The girl leaned forward slowly on her elbows, placed on either side of his torso, and gave him a soft kiss to the forehead. The contact, even though gentle, seemed enough to wake him up. His eyes opened slowly, taking a moment to adjust.

"Hey…" He yawned, stretching his arms above his head. "Surprised you're up before me." The former royal murmured.

"Well, I haven't been up for very long, either." She responded, resting her head back down. "Do you want to go back? Or spend some more time out here?"

"It's up to you, I guess. I think we just needed to sleep out here for a night." Rythian sighed, eyes wandering around the clearing.

"Hmm… Can we just sit here for a while longer?"

He was about to agree when he heard voices from the trees. On reflex, he reached for his sword, only to find that it wasn't with him. Oh right, he didn't bring anything at all… He sat upright, mindful of the woman laying on top of him. Zoeya went to say something, but he held a finger to his lips as a sign to be quiet. Leading the way, they quickly got out of the clearing and into the forest beyond.

"Did you hear something?" A familiar, accented voice murmured from behind a thick covering of leaves.

Moments later, rustling was heard from bushes opposite to where they were hidden. Nilesy soon emerged from the brush of twigs and greenery, closely followed by Ravs. They no longer wore the required armor of a guard, and instead wore clothes more suited to travel. While Nilesy seemed to be fairing better at the travel, Ravs was obviously more then a little exhausted. The duo in hiding backed farther into the undergrowth. These two were probably sent to look for them.

"I hope we fine 'em soon." Ravs sighed, resting against the tree trunk were the fugitives had recently laid.

Nilesy grunted an agreement, sitting on a root that was exposed to the surface. The watchtower guard reached into a pack that Rythian hadn't noticed before and grabbed a canteen, presumably containing water.

"Why would they even want to see us now, Ravs-y 'ol chum? Probably think we'll turn 'em over to the other generals."

What where they talking about? They acted like they were on their side… They could be trying to lure them into a false sense of security, but… Nilesy and Ravs weren't even aware of their presence.

Deciding to take a risk, Rythian slowly crawled out of the bushes; he had to stop his partner from following, he didn't want her to get caught if this went horribly wrong. She nodded, but didn't look at all happy. The noise made from his movement caused the two talking men to look over. He raised his arms up in defensive, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Would he need to fight? Or should he run if things got too messy?

"Rythian…?" Ravs hesitantly asked, getting to his feet slowly, the other guard following his example.

"Ehh… Hi?" His voice hitched with nervousness. Just how would they react to him?


	16. The Guards

**_AN: This was roughly 3 pages in Works, but I've literally lost the will to write anything. To be honest, I just kept putting this chapter off, so it wasn't that it took this long to type up this much, just that I never wanted to start it. So yeah, I've finally updated. Shocking right? I never thought I would be one those people who kept people waiting (Not by choice of course)_**

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The weight thrown onto him left him breathless. Nilesy clung to him in a tight hug, while the size of Ravs' grin almost seemed unnatural. Rythian pried the Watchtower guard off, still a bit shell-shocked at how they reacted.

"So you aren't here to hunt me down?" The question was more rhetorical; the masked fugitive probably wouldn't be like this if that were true.

"No! Why would we do that, Rythian?" Nilesy gawked.

"Well… We have to be cautious, you know?" He let out a deep breath, watching a few strands of loose hair flew away from his face, only to return to their place heartbeats later.

Nilesy nodded in agreement as Ravs stepped forward.

"I know it's good to see each other again, but we've got more important things to talk about." The general scratched his chin, where a small stubble of black hair was in need of a shave.

"Like what?"

By this time, his partner slowly crept out of her hiding place and joined him by his side. He wanted to speak out about that, saying that this could all still be a trap, but he decided against it. Something would have happened the moment he shown himself, much less when she stepped out.

"Well…" Ravs gathered up his thoughts before speaking. "Princess Lomadia journeyed from Noctua to investigate all the fuss that was made. Because of the state the council was in without a leader…"

"She stepped up and took charge!" Nilesy cut in, lifting up a finger as if to prove a point.

"Wait, so they just let that happen? I know we have an alliance, but to allow a royal from an entirely different kingdom to lead?" Rythian wandered over to sit on the gnarled tree root, shifting to find a more comfortable position.

"That's somewhat hard to believe" mused Zoeya, who was slowly pacing in order to keep moving.

"You really should've seen what was goin' on" The younger guard sounded, shaking his head.

"Okay…" He stretched out the syllable, waiting for them to continue.

"Well… Nobody really believed you killed your father. You still got punished because most of the people were corrupt. Bribed, maybe. But by who? That's what we've been trying to figure out."

"Somebody who would want me out of power." He supplied his own thoughts.

"Yeah… The timing is too convenient for something unintentional." muttered Nilesy, gazing at the overgrown grass at his feet.

"Listen, the point is we need you back. The war is coming closer, and we are in no state to fight. What's worse is the other generals seem to be unconcerned by this. We really need you back, not just as king, but as our friend." Ravs pleaded.

"You say that our kingdom is traitorous and you want me to go back? Are you crazy?" He got to his feet, staring at them with a mix of shock and confusion.

"We know to be extra careful now, you'd be watched closely by people that we trust." Nilesy spoke, easing Rythian's nerves a bit.

"Okay."

"And let's not forget Tee!" The formerly pacing woman grinned.

"Who?" The two guards chorused.

"You'll see!" Zoeya called over her shoulder, already heading back into the forest.


End file.
